129-477: Phantom Entertainment, Inc. (known as Infinium Labs, Inc. until 2006) was a company founded in 2002 by Tim Roberts which made computer keyboards . However, Phantom was best known for the Phantom, a video game console advertised for Internet gaming on demand in 2004 ; it was never marketed, leading to suggestions that it was vaporware . The company's website was last updated in late 2011, and Phantom's ownership of
258-657: A board with fewer keys. Court reporters' stenotype machines use chorded keyboards to enable them to enter text much faster by typing a syllable with each stroke instead of one letter at a time. The fastest typists (as of 2007) use a stenograph, a kind of chorded keyboard used by most court reporters and closed-caption reporters. Some chorded keyboards are also made for use in situations where fewer keys are preferable, such as on devices that can be used with only one hand, and on small mobile devices that don't have room for larger keyboards. Chorded keyboards are less desirable in many cases because it usually takes practice and memorization of
387-448: A certain pattern, allowing only one beam per row of keys (most commonly horizontal beam). Alphabetical, numeric, and punctuation keys are used in the same fashion as a typewriter keyboard to enter their respective symbol into a word processing program, text editor, data spreadsheet, or other program. Many of these keys will produce different symbols when modifier keys or shift keys are pressed. The alphabetic characters become uppercase when
516-558: A chorded keyboard, was invented by Douglas Engelbart . Other types of one-handed keyboards include the FrogPad , the Half-keyboard , and one-handed Dvorak keyboard layouts designed for one hand typing . While other keyboards generally associate one action with each key, chorded keyboards associate actions with combinations of key presses. Since there are many combinations available, chorded keyboards can effectively produce more actions on
645-410: A command line, window form or dialog box to operate its default function, which is typically to finish an "entry" and begin the desired process. In word processing applications, pressing the enter key ends a paragraph and starts a new one. Navigation keys or cursor keys include a variety of keys which move the cursor to different positions on the screen. Arrow keys are programmed to move the cursor in
774-459: A cursor hovering above a menu. On some Samsung keyboards the cursor in the icon is not present, showing the menu only. This key was created at the same time as the Windows key. This key is normally used when the right mouse button is not present on the mouse. Some Windows public terminals do not have a Menu key on their keyboard to prevent users from right-clicking (however, in many Windows applications,
903-525: A disc in it, or when the disc tray was ejected, but the user had the option to select what the console does if a game is in the tray on start up, or if inserted when already on. A simplified version of it was also accessible at any time via the Xbox Guide button on the gamepad. This simplified version showed the user's gamercard, Xbox Live messages and friends list. It also allowed for personal and music settings, in addition to voice or video chats, or returning to
1032-526: A flashing power button that alternates between green and red is an indication of a "General Hardware Failure" unlike older models where three of the quadrants would light up red. The Xbox 360 launched with 14 games in North America and 13 in Europe. The console's best-selling game for 2005, Call of Duty 2 , sold over a million copies. Five other games sold over a million copies in the console's first year on
1161-406: A game controller, and can be used as such, instead of laid out flat on top of a table surface. Typically handheld keyboards hold all the alphanumeric keys and symbols that a standard keyboard would have, yet only be accessed by pressing two sets of keys at once; one acting as a function key similar to a 'Shift' key that would allow for capital letters on a standard keyboard. Handheld keyboards allow
1290-469: A generally positive review of the Phantom Lapboard on Missing Remote . In September 2003 HardOCP, a computer-hardware news website, published an investigative report by writer Steve Lynch critical of Infinium Labs and its founder. On February 19, 2004, Infinium Labs' lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to HardOCP's editor demanding that the news site take down the article, claiming that it "painted
1419-482: A laser, onto a flat surface. The device then uses a camera or infrared sensor to "watch" where the user's fingers move, and will count a key as being pressed when it "sees" the user's finger touch the projected image. Projection keyboards can simulate a full size keyboard from a very small projector. Because the "keys" are simply projected images, they cannot be felt when pressed. Users of projected keyboards often experience increased discomfort in their fingertips because of
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#17328701135041548-574: A limited-edition bundle which sold out quickly with over 10,000 pre-orders. Blue Dragon is one of three Xbox 360 games to surpass 200,000 units in Japan, along with Tales of Vesperia and Star Ocean: The Last Hope . Mistwalker's second game, Lost Odyssey also sold over 100,000 copies. The 2007 Game Critics Awards honored the Xbox 360 platform with 38 Nominations and 11 Wins. By 2015, game releases started to decline as most publishers instead focused on
1677-468: A modern computer, the interpretation of key presses is generally left to the software: the information sent to the computer, the scan code , tells it only which physical key (or keys) was pressed or released. In normal usage, the keyboard is used as a text entry interface for typing text, numbers, and symbols into application software such as a word processor , web browser or social media app. Touchscreens use virtual keyboards . Typewriters are
1806-594: A numeric keypad, commonly those of laptop computers. These keys are collectively known as a numeric pad, numeric keys, or a numeric keypad, and it can consist of the following types of keys: Arithmetic operators , numbers , arrow keys , Navigation keys , Num Lock and Enter key . Multifunctional keyboards provide additional function beyond the standard keyboard. Many are programmable, configurable computer keyboards and some control multiple PCs, workstations and other information sources, usually in multi-screen work environments. Users have additional key functions as well as
1935-542: A portrait of a company intent on swindling the public" and threatening to file a defamation suit. Rather than concede to Infinium's demands, HardOCP owner Kyle Bennett filed a lawsuit for a declaratory judgment that his company had done nothing wrong. Infinium Labs then filed suit in Florida, denying that Texas was the proper jurisdiction (although it had previously maintained a staffed office in Richardson ). In September 2004,
2064-672: A proprietary port for use with the Kinect sensor. The Xbox 360 E, a further streamlined variation of the 360 S with a two-tone rectangular case inspired by Xbox One , was released in 2013. In addition to its revised aesthetics, the Xbox 360 E also has one fewer USB port, no AV connector (and thus is HDMI-only), and no longer supports S/PDIF . November 22, 2005 April 29, 2007 August 6, 2007 October 27, 2007 July 13, 2008 August 1, 2008 September 5, 2008 August 28, 2009 June 19, 2010 August 3, 2010 June 10, 2013 April 20, 2016 The original model of
2193-426: A reduced set of keys. They may not have a numeric keypad , and the function keys may be placed in locations that differ from their placement on a standard, full-sized keyboard. The switch mechanism for a laptop keyboard is more likely to be a scissor switch than a rubber dome; this is opposite the trend for full-size keyboards. Flexible keyboards are a junction between normal type and laptop type keyboards: normal from
2322-459: A screenshot in the clipboard . The Break key /Pause key no longer has a well-defined purpose. Its origins go back to teleprinter users, who wanted a key that would temporarily interrupt the communications line. The Break key can be used by software in several different ways, such as to switch between multiple login sessions, to terminate a program, or to interrupt a modem connection. In programming, especially old DOS-style BASIC, Pascal and C, Break
2451-403: A set of characters engraved or printed on them, and each press of a key typically corresponds to a single written symbol . However, producing some symbols may require pressing and holding several keys simultaneously or in sequence. While most keys produce characters ( letters , numbers or symbols), other keys (such as the escape key ) can prompt the computer to execute system commands. In
2580-462: A similar functionality can be invoked with the Shift+F10 keyboard shortcut ). Many, but not all, computer keyboards have a numeric keypad to the right of the alphabetic keyboard, often separated from the other groups of keys such as the function keys and system command keys, which contains numbers, basic mathematical symbols (e.g., addition, subtraction, etc.), and a few function keys. In addition to
2709-411: A single year. In 2009, IGN named the Xbox 360 the sixth-greatest video game console of all time, out of a field of 25. Although not the best-selling console of the seventh generation, the Xbox 360 was deemed by TechRadar to be the most influential, by emphasizing digital media distribution and online gaming through Xbox Live, and by popularizing game achievement awards . PC Magazine considered
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#17328701135042838-564: A slimmer wireless media keyboard with a built-in trackpad or ball, which are available for significantly less than the Lapboard’s $ 140 asking price." On July 20, 2009, a sample lapboard received a favorable review from the Hardware Heaven website. Despite its lukewarm review, in May 2010 About.com included the Phantom Lapboard in its Father's Day gift guide. On July 19, 2010, Michael Welter posted
2967-527: A specified direction; page scroll keys, such as the Page Up and Page Down keys , scroll the page up and down. The Home key is used to return the cursor to the beginning of the line where the cursor is located; the End key puts the cursor at the end of the line. The Tab key advances the cursor to the next tab stop. The Insert key is mainly used to switch between overtype mode, in which the cursor overwrites any text that
3096-425: A variety of function keys . The repertoire of glyphs engraved on the keys of a keyboard accords with national conventions and language needs. Computer keyboards are similar to electric-typewriter keyboards but contain additional keys, such as the command key or Windows keys . Keyboards on laptops and notebook computers usually have a shorter travel distance for the keystroke, shorter over travel distance, and
3225-508: A wired USB connection, or be connected wirelessly and powered by batteries. Illumination facilitates the use of the keyboard or keypad in dark environments. Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft . As the successor to the original Xbox , it is the second console in the Xbox series . It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information announced later that month at
3354-526: A year later after the discovery of the surviving 2003 prototype. The Phantom had an online release on August 17, 2003, with basic hardware specifications and a price of "below $ 399". Options included customized hardware and the PhantomNet (a gaming-content service), priced at $ 9.95 a month. A sale date for the first quarter of 2004 was set. It was missed; the company later claimed it would go on sale in November for
3483-446: Is a peripheral input device modeled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches . Replacing early punched cards and paper tape technology, interaction via teleprinter -style keyboards have been the main input method for computers since the 1970s, supplemented by the computer mouse since the 1980s. Keyboard keys (buttons) typically have
3612-534: Is a wireless keyboard made by the company. It was released on June 23, 2008, two years after its originally planned release date. Designed as a component of the Phantom game console, it was ultimately sold for use with Internet TV and PC video games since the Phantom console was cancelled, and never made it to market. In 2010, a new model of the Lapboard was released to work with Internet TV, gaming and media centers. On January 3, 2006, Infinium Labs announced that
3741-536: Is a limited workspace. A thumb keyboard (thumb board) is used in some personal digital assistants such as the Palm Treo and BlackBerry and some Ultra-Mobile PCs such as the OQO . Numeric keyboards contain only numbers, mathematical symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, a decimal point, and several function keys. They are often used to facilitate data entry with smaller keyboards that do not have
3870-436: Is also descended from the mechanical typewriter. Its main purpose is to enter the space between words during typing. It is large enough so that a thumb from either hand can use it easily. Depending on the operating system, when the space bar is used with a modifier key such as the control key, it may have functions such as resizing or closing the current window, half-spacing, or backspacing. In computer games and other applications
3999-408: Is designed with a focus on specific features that suit particular needs. Today, most full-size keyboards use one of three different mechanical layouts, usually referred to as simply ISO ( ISO/IEC 9995 -2), ANSI ( ANSI - INCITS 154-1988), and JIS ( JIS X 6002-1980), referring roughly to the organizations issuing the relevant worldwide, United States, and Japanese standards, respectively. (In fact,
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4128-520: Is handled by the ATI Xenos , which has 10 MB of eDRAM . Its main memory pool is 512 MB in size. Originally, the Xbox 360 was equipped with only 256 MB of RAM, but Epic , the Gears of War developer, demonstrated to Microsoft that the console should have 512 MB of RAM to deliver much better performance. When asked about this, Epic Games Executive Vice President Mark Rein said in 2006: "So
4257-525: Is on the bottom when vertical (right side when horizontal) and requires the opening of a concealed door to access it. (This does not void the warranty.) The Xbox 360 Slim/E hard drives are standard 2.5" SATA laptop drives, but have a custom enclosure and firmware so that the Xbox 360 can recognize it. The Xbox 360 uses the triple-core IBM designed Xenon as its CPU, with each core capable of simultaneously processing two threads , and can therefore operate on up to six threads at once. Graphics processing
4386-543: Is possible to install multiple keyboard layouts within an operating system and switch between them, either through features implemented within the OS, or through an external application. Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac provide support to add keyboard layouts and choose from them. Keyboards and keypads may be illuminated from inside, especially on equipment for mobile use. Both keyboards built into computers and external ones may support backlighting; external backlit keyboards may have
4515-432: Is present on and after its current location, and insert mode, where the cursor inserts a character at its current position, forcing all characters past it one position further. The Delete key discards the character ahead of the cursor's position, moving all following characters one position "back" towards the freed place. On many notebook computer keyboards the key labeled Delete (sometimes Delete and Backspace are printed on
4644-511: Is recognized on all models released before the Xbox 360 S by three quadrants of the ring around the power button flashing red. This error is often known as the " Red Ring of Death ". In April 2009, the warranty was extended to also cover failures related to the E74 error code . The warranty extension is not granted for any other types of failures that do not generate these specific error codes. After these problems surfaced, Microsoft attempted to modify
4773-468: Is used (in conjunction with Ctrl) to stop program execution. In addition to this, Linux and variants, as well as many DOS programs, treat this combination the same as Ctrl+C. On modern keyboards, the break key is usually labeled Pause/Break. In most Windows environments, the key combination Windows key+Pause brings up the system properties. The escape key ( esc ) has a variety of meanings according to Operating System, application or both. "Nearly all of
4902-635: The PS2 and Nintendo DS . Over 1 million units were sold in Spain across the console's lifecycle. The Xbox 360 crossed the 1 million units sold in Japan in March 2009, and the 1.5 million units sold in June 2011. Lifetime sales of the Xbox 360 in Japan stand at 1,616,218 million units. While the Xbox 360 has sold poorly in Japan, it improved upon the sales of the original Xbox , which had total sales of 474,992 units. Furthermore,
5031-504: The Securities and Exchange Commission accused Phantom Entertainment founder and former CEO Timothy Roberts of running a " pump and dump " scheme in promoting the Phantom console in 2004. The Phantom lost credibility in the gaming and business worlds because its release date was continually pushed back, and because of financial scandals involving Phantom Entertainment (which lost more than $ 62.7 million since its creation). The Phantom Lapboard
5160-549: The United Kingdom would reach 3.2 million units by January 2009, per GfK Chart-Track . The 8 million unit mark was crossed in the UK by February 2013. Sales of the Xbox 360 would overtake the Wii later that year, topping 9 million units, making the Xbox 360 the best-selling 7th-generation console in the UK, as well as making it the third best-selling console of all time in the region, behind
5289-522: The Xbox Music and Xbox Video portals; and access third-party content services through media streaming applications. In addition to online multimedia features, it allows users to stream media from local PCs. Several peripherals have been released, including wireless controllers , expanded hard drive storage, and the Kinect motion sensing camera. The release of these additional services and peripherals helped
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5418-638: The Xbox One , was released on November 22, 2013. On April 20, 2016, Microsoft announced that it would end the production of new Xbox 360 hardware, although the company will continue to support the platform. On August 17, 2023, Microsoft announced that on July 29, 2024, the Xbox 360 game marketplace would stop offering new purchases and Microsoft Movies & TV app will no longer function (the console will still be able to download previously purchased content, run it, and enter multiplayer sessions). Known during development as Xbox Next, Xenon, Xbox 2, Xbox FS or NextBox,
5547-598: The Xbox One . The last official game released for the system was Just Dance 2019 , released on October 23, 2018, in North America, and October 25 in Europe and Australia. As one of the late updates to the software following its discontinuation, Microsoft will add the ability for Xbox 360 users to use cloud saves even if they do not have Xbox Live Gold prior to the launch of the Xbox Series X and Series S in November 2020. The new consoles will have backward compatibility for all Xbox 360 games that are already backward compatible on
5676-421: The "start" button was to hold down the control key and press escape. This process still works in Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10. The 'enter key' ⌅ Enter and 'return key' ↵ Return are two closely related keys with overlapping and distinct functions dependent on operating system and application . On full-size keyboards, there are two such keys, one in the alphanumeric keys and
5805-535: The 105 key layout is the norm in the rest of the world. This number is not always followed, and individual keys or whole sections are commonly skipped for the sake of compactness or user preference. The most common choice is to not include the numpad, which can usually be fully replaced by the alphanumeric section; such designs are referred to as "tenkeyless" (or TKL). Laptops and wireless peripherals often lack duplicate keys and ones seldom used. Function- and arrow keys are nearly always present. Another factor determining
5934-400: The 1993–2013 period, stating "It had its own social network, cross-game chat, new indie games every week, and the best version of just about every multiformat game ... Killzone is no Halo and nowadays Gran Turismo is no Forza , but it's not about the exclusives—there's nothing to trump Naughty Dog 's PS3 output, after all. Rather, it's about the choices Microsoft made back in
6063-572: The 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). As a seventh-generation console , it primarily competed with Sony 's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo 's Wii . The Xbox 360 features an online service, Xbox Live , which was expanded from its previous iteration on the original Xbox and received regular updates during the console's lifetime. Available in free and subscription-based varieties, Xbox Live allows users to play games online ; download games (through Xbox Live Arcade ) and game demos; purchase and stream music, television programs, and films through
6192-507: The Elite was also marked down in price to US$ 299. Two major hardware revisions of the Xbox 360 have succeeded the original models; the Xbox 360 S (also referred to as the "Slim") replaced the original "Elite" and "Arcade" models in 2010. The S model carries a smaller, streamlined appearance with an angular case, and utilizes a redesigned motherboard designed to alleviate the hardware and overheating issues experienced by prior models. It also includes
6321-453: The Esc key extensively. Historically it also served as a type of shift key, such that one or more following characters were interpreted differently, hence the term escape sequence , which refers to a series of characters, usually preceded by the escape character . On machines running Microsoft Windows, prior to the implementation of the Windows key on keyboards, the typical practice for invoking
6450-655: The Macintosh and Apple keyboards, the modifier keys are the Option key and Command key , respectively. On Sun Microsystems and Lisp machine keyboards, the Meta key is used as a modifier and for Windows keyboards, there is a Windows key . Compact keyboard layouts often use a Fn key . " Dead keys " allow placement of a diacritic mark, such as an accent, on the following letter (e.g., the Compose key ). The enter/return key typically causes
6579-596: The Phantom Game Receiver from its website, claiming that the content-delivery system targeted for the Phantom would be available for PCs running the Microsoft Windows XP Media Center edition; it later indicated this service would be available in March 2007, after the initially planned November 2006 release of the Lapboard, the service did not materialize when the Lapboard ultimately launched in 2008. Computer keyboard A computer keyboard
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#17328701135046708-553: The Phantom would be released around the same time as the Xbox 360 in fall 2005, but that date was also missed. By August 2006, the Phantom Console was removed from the products page of the Phantom Entertainment website. The company was unable to raise its projected $ 30 million to complete the Phantom and announced it would downsize and focus on the Phantom Lapboard, a wireless keyboard for home use. On May 16, 2006,
6837-477: The PlayStation 3's lifespan for its sales and games to reach parity with the Xbox 360. TechRadar proclaimed that "Xbox 360 passes the baton as the king of the hill – a position that puts all the more pressure on its successor, Xbox One". The Xbox 360's advantage over its competitors was due to the release of high-profile games from both first party and third-party developers. The 2007 Game Critics Awards honored
6966-441: The Xbox 360 completely. The significance of Japan's poor sales might be overstated in the media in comparison to overall international sales. The Xbox 360 sold much better than its predecessor, and although not the best-selling console of the seventh generation, it is regarded as a success since it strengthened Microsoft as a major force in the console market at the expense of well-established rivals. The inexpensive Wii did sell
7095-409: The Xbox 360 has been subject to a number of technical problems . Since the console's release in 2005, users have reported concerns over its reliability and failure rate . To aid customers with defective consoles, Microsoft extended the Xbox 360's manufacturer's warranty to three years for hardware failure problems that generate a "General Hardware Failure" error report. A "General Hardware Failure"
7224-610: The Xbox 360 managed to outsell both the PlayStation 3 and Wii the week ending September 14, 2008, as well as the week ending February 22, 2009, when the Japanese Xbox 360 exclusives Infinite Undiscovery and Star Ocean: The Last Hope , were released those weeks, respectively. Ultimately, Edge magazine would report that Microsoft had been unable to make serious inroads into the dominance of domestic rivals Sony and Nintendo; adding that lackluster sales in Japan had led to retailers scaling down and in some cases, discontinuing sales of
7353-408: The Xbox 360 the prototype for online gaming as it "proved that online gaming communities could thrive in the console space". Five years after the Xbox 360's debut, the well-received Kinect motion capture camera was released, which set the record of being the fastest selling consumer electronic device in history, and extended the life of the console. Edge ranked Xbox 360 the second-best console of
7482-507: The Xbox 360 version included a cut-down version of the Media Remote as a promotion. The Elite package was launched later at US$ 479. The "Xbox 360 Core" was replaced by the "Xbox 360 Arcade" in October 2007 and a 60 GB version of the Xbox 360 Pro was released on August 1, 2008. The Pro package was discontinued and marked down to US$ 249 on August 28, 2009, to be sold until stock ran out, while
7611-517: The Xbox 360 was conceived in early 2003. In February 2003, planning for the Xenon software platform began, and was headed by Microsoft's Vice President J Allard . That month, Microsoft held an event for 400 developers in Bellevue, Washington to recruit support for the system. Also that month, Peter Moore , former president of Sega of America, joined Microsoft. On August 12, 2003, ATI signed on to produce
7740-414: The Xbox 360 without a game controller by using gestures, spoken commands and presented objects and images. The Kinect accessory is compatible with all Xbox 360 models, connecting to new models via a custom connector, and to older ones via a USB and mains power adapter. During their CES 2010 keynote speech, Robbie Bach and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer went on to say that Kinect would be released during
7869-515: The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 stood at 36.9% and 18.0% market share, respectively. The main unit of the Xbox 360 itself has slight double concavity in matte white or black. The official color of the white model is Arctic Chill. It features a port on the top when vertical (left side when horizontal) to which a custom-housed hard disk drive unit can be attached. On the Slim and E models, the hard drive bay
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#17328701135047998-399: The Xbox One and can use any Xbox 360 game's cloud saves through this update, making the transition to the new consoles easier. The Xbox 360's original graphical user interface was the Xbox 360 Dashboard ; a tabbed interface that featured five "Blades" (formerly four blades), and was designed by AKQA and Audiobrain . It could be launched automatically when the console booted without
8127-426: The Xbox brand grow from gaming-only to encompassing all multimedia, turning it into a hub for living-room computing entertainment. Launched worldwide across 2005–2006, the Xbox 360 was initially in short supply in many regions, including North America and Europe. The earliest versions of the console suffered from a high failure rate , indicated by the so-called " Red Ring of Death ", necessitating an extension of
8256-565: The Xenon processor were developed using a slightly modified version of the PlayStation 3 's Cell Processor PPE architecture. According to David Shippy and Mickie Phipps, the IBM employees were "hiding" their work from Sony and Toshiba, IBM's partners in developing the Cell Processor . Jeff Minter created the music visualization program Neon which is included with the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360
8385-451: The additional cost and space requirements of other types of hardware keyboards. Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and some varieties of Linux include on-screen keyboards that can be controlled with the mouse. In these, the mouse has to be maneuvered onto the on-screen letters given by the software. On the click of a letter, the software writes the respective letter in the respective spot. Projection keyboards project an image of keys, usually with
8514-456: The agreement in December 2007 due to another delay in Lapboard's launch). The keyboard was finally released on June 23, 2008, two years after its originally planned release date. In April 2008 Maximum PC published a preview of the lapboard, describing it as "extremely promising" although the supplied mouse "experienced signal dropouts at a distance of about 24 inches from the sensor". The author
8643-401: The combinations to become proficient. Virtual keyboards , sometimes called on-screen keyboards (rarely software keyboards), consist of computer programs that display an image of a keyboard on the screen. Another input device such as a mouse or a touchscreen can be used to operate each virtual key to enter text. Virtual keyboards have become very popular in touchscreen enabled cell phones due to
8772-444: The company (which had changed its name from Infinium Labs) promised to introduce its Phantom Lapboard product in November 2006, with a gaming service to follow in March 2007. In June 2008, the company released the Lapboard. In August 2007, Phantom Entertainment signed an agreement with ProGames Network to provide Lapboards and "game-service content" in hotels worldwide. The Phantom is a cancelled home video game console whose development
8901-622: The company in summer 2005 (with millions of shares of stock) before any products had been delivered. He later rejoined as chairman of the board, but in a July 2007 press release he again resigned from the company. Subsequent CEOs included Kevin Bachus (who took the post in August 2005), Greg Koler (in January 2006) and John Landino, who was appointed CEO and interim chief financial officer in July 2008. In September 2006
9030-467: The console to improve its reliability. Modifications included a reduction in the number, size, and placement of components, the addition of dabs of epoxy on the corners and edges of the CPU and GPU as glue to prevent movement relative to the board during heat expansion, and a second GPU heatsink to dissipate more heat. With the release of the redesigned Xbox 360 S, the warranty for the newer models does not include
9159-400: The console, including both wired and wireless controllers , faceplates for customization, headsets for chatting, a webcam for video chatting, dance mats and Gamercize for exercise, three sizes of memory units and five sizes of hard drives (20, 60, 120, 250 (initially Japan only, but later also available elsewhere ) and 320 GB), among other items, all of which are styled to match
9288-558: The console. In 2006, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player . The accessory was discontinued in 2008 after the format war had ended in Blu-ray 's favor. Kinect is a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience" for the Xbox 360. It was first announced on June 1, 2009, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo , under the codename, Project Natal . The add-on peripheral enables users to control and interact with
9417-472: The day they made the decision, we were apparently the first developer they called; we were at Game Developers Conference, was it two years ago, and then I got a call from the chief financial officer of MGS and he said 'I just want you to know you cost me a billion dollars' and I said, 'we did a favour for a billion gamers'." Various hard disk drives have been produced, including options at 20, 60, 120, 250, 320, or 500 GB. Many accessories are available for
9546-454: The definitive ancestor of all key-based text entry devices, but the computer keyboard as a device for electromechanical data entry and communication largely comes from the utility of two devices: teleprinters (or teletypes) and keypunches . It was through such devices that modern computer keyboards inherited their layouts. As early as the 1870s, teleprinter-like devices were used to simultaneously type and transmit stock market text data from
9675-520: The device's warranty period. Microsoft released two redesigned models of the console: the Xbox 360 S in 2010, and the Xbox 360 E in 2013. Xbox 360 is the ninth-highest-selling home video game console in history , and the highest-selling console made by an American company. Although not the best-selling console of its generation, the Xbox 360 was deemed by TechRadar to be the most influential through its emphasis on digital media distribution and multiplayer gaming on Xbox Live. The Xbox 360's successor,
9804-474: The difficulties of programming for the PS3. TechRadar deemed the Xbox 360 as the most influential game system through its emphasis of digital media distribution, Xbox Live online gaming service, and game achievement feature. During the console's lifetime, the Xbox brand has grown from gaming-only to encompassing all multimedia, turning it into a hub for "living-room computing environment". Microsoft announced
9933-413: The domain has since expired. Infinium Labs was founded by Tim Roberts in 2002 as a private company. In January 2003 it issued a press release saying that it would soon release a "revolutionary new gaming platform" with an on-demand video-game service, delivering games through an online subscription. The press release had no specific information, but included a computer-generated prototype design. Due to
10062-521: The earliest computers incorporated electric typewriter keyboards: the development of the ENIAC computer incorporated a keypunch device as both the input and paper-based output device, and the BINAC computer made use of an electromechanically controlled typewriter for both data entry onto magnetic tape (instead of paper) and data output. The keyboard remained the primary, most integrated computer peripheral well into
10191-402: The emitters and sensors are located in the perimeter, mounted on a small PCB . The light is directed from side to side of the keyboard interior and it can only be blocked by the actuated keys. Most optical keyboards require at least 2 beams (most commonly vertical beam and horizontal beam) to determine the actuated key. Some optical keyboards use a special key structure that blocks the light in
10320-461: The end of 2014, Xbox 360 sales had surpassed sales of the Wii, making the Xbox 360 the best-selling 7th-generation console in the US once again. In Canada, the Xbox 360 has sold a total of 870,000 units as of August 1, 2008. In Europe, the Xbox 360 has sold seven million units as of November 20, 2008. The Xbox 360 took 110 weeks to reach 2 million units sold in the UK, generating £507m in revenue. Sales in
10449-623: The end of the year. As well as enjoying exclusives such as additions to the Halo franchise and Gears of War , the Xbox 360 has managed to gain a simultaneous release of games that were initially planned to be PS3 exclusives, including Devil May Cry 4 , Ace Combat 6 , Virtua Fighter 5 , Grand Theft Auto IV , Final Fantasy XIII , Tekken 6 , Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance , and L.A. Noire . In addition, Xbox 360 versions of cross-platform games were generally considered superior to their PS3 counterparts in 2006 and 2007, due in part to
10578-429: The equal sign. On Japanese/Korean keyboards , there may be language input keys for changing the language to use. Some keyboards have power management keys (e.g., power key, sleep key and wake key); Internet keys to access a web browser or e-mail ; and/or multimedia keys, such as volume controls; or keys that can be programmed by the user to launch a specified application or a command like minimizing all windows. It
10707-452: The era of personal computing until the introduction of the mouse as a consumer device in 1984. By this time, text-only user interfaces with sparse graphics gave way to comparatively graphics-rich icons on screen . However, keyboards remain central to human-computer interaction to the present though mobile personal computing devices such as smartphones and tablets use a virtual keyboard . Different types of keyboards are available and each
10836-479: The faxes were part of a pump and dump scheme on the part of Roberts. Roberts reached a settlement with the SEC in which he was barred from serving as an officer or public director of a public company or participating in penny-stock offerings for five years and paid a $ 30,000 fine. Roberts was again convicted of fraud in 2017 in a case involving his cloud commerce startup venture Savtira, which collapsed in 2011. When Roberts
10965-405: The first keypunch devices, which soon evolved to include keys for text and number entry akin to normal typewriters by the 1930s. The keyboard on the teleprinter played a strong role in point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communication for most of the 20th century, while the keyboard on the keypunch device played a strong role in data entry and storage for just as long. The development of some of
11094-568: The first-generation prototype were known to exist, one publicly destroyed by HardOCP at QuakeCon 2004 as a result of their legal battles with the company (see below), the other was spotted by a computer repair shop in Venice, Florida in 2015 and reported by Ars Technica . In October 2021, a first-generation prototype unit was listed for auction, presumably the same unit that was previously reported by Ars Technica due to its listed repair history. A second-generation prototype unit shown at E3 2004 surfaced
11223-561: The full arrangement of keys, and laptop from the short key distance. Additionally, the flexibility allows the user to fold/roll the keyboard for better storage and transfer. However, for typing the keyboard must be resting on a hard surface. The vast majority of flexible keyboards in the market are made from silicone; this material makes them water- and dust-proof. This is useful in hospitals, where keyboards are subjected to frequent washing, and other dirty or must-be-clean environments. Handheld ergonomic keyboards are designed to be held like
11352-406: The graphics processing unit for the new console, a deal that was publicly announced two days later. Before the launch of the Xbox 360, several Alpha development kits were spotted using Apple's Power Mac G5 hardware. This was because the system's PowerPC 970 processor was running the same PowerPC architecture that the Xbox 360 would eventually run under IBM 's Xenon processor. The cores of
11481-498: The holiday period (November–January) and work with every Xbox 360 console. It was released on November 4, 2010. Built-in Through AV connector (excluding E models which have no AV connector) At launch, the Xbox 360 was available in two configurations: the "Xbox 360" package (unofficially known as the 20 GB Pro or Premium), priced at US$ 399 or £ 279.99, and the "Xbox 360 Core", priced at US$ 299 and £209.99. The original shipment of
11610-456: The holiday season, although it had not developed online-delivery software, licensed games or found any retailers. The second deadline was missed, with Infinium sending thousands of faxes claiming that the system would be released in January 2005. When that deadline passed, Infinium predicted the system's release for around March 2005. That date also passed, and Infinium Labs was absent from the 2005 E3. Kevin Bachus (former Infinium CEO) hinted that
11739-437: The judge required Infinium Labs to produce a number of financial records, including Roberts's personal income-tax returns, by the end of that month. Because the company failed to produce the required documents, HardOCP won a court order compelling them to do so. The judge ruled that sanctions would be awarded to KB Networks and Kyle Bennett in an amount to be determined by the court (later reported as $ 50,000). Infinium Labs settled
11868-472: The key has myriad uses in addition to its normal purpose in typing, such as jumping and adding marks to check boxes. In certain programs for playback of digital video, the space bar is used for pausing and resuming the playback. Modifier keys are special keys that modify the normal action of another key, when the two are pressed in combination. For example, Alt + F4 in Microsoft Windows will close
11997-484: The keyboard across telegraph lines to stock ticker machines to be immediately copied and displayed onto ticker tape . The teleprinter, in its more contemporary form, was developed from 1907 to 1910 by American mechanical engineer Charles Krum and his son Howard , with early contributions by electrical engineer Frank Pearne . Earlier models were developed separately by individuals such as Royal Earl House and Frederick G. Creed . Earlier, Herman Hollerith developed
12126-471: The lack of "give" when typing. A flat, non-reflective surface is also required for the keys to be projected. Most projection keyboards are made for use with PDAs and smartphones due to their small form factor. Also known as photo-optical keyboard, light responsive keyboard, photo-electric keyboard and optical key actuation detection technology. An optical keyboard technology utilizes LEDs and photo sensors to optically detect actuated keys. Most commonly
12255-450: The lapboard component of the console (a keyboard and mouse designed to be held on the lap, for example, seated on a couch in front of a television) was due to be released to online retailers by the second quarter of 2006. On April 19 it announced that the keyboard would not be released in time for Q2 2006, but the device (manufactured by Itron Technology) would be released in North America and Europe "no later than October" 2006. On August 15 it
12384-462: The largest amount of money Infinium Labs had ever borrowed at one time. The loan would have been repaid over three years, with an option of repayment with shares of common stock. In February, GameSpot reported that Phantom Entertainment was suspending the Phantom Game Service to develop the Lapboard. An SEC filing showed three-year losses in excess of $ 62.7 million, over half of which
12513-469: The latter, the Enter key is in a single row (usually the third from the bottom) while in the former it spans over two rows and has an inverse L shape. The purpose of the ⇧ Shift key is to invoke the first alternative function of the key with which it is pressed concurrently. For alphabetic keys, shift+letter gives the upper case version of that letter. For other keys, the key is engraved with symbols for both
12642-464: The market: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter , The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion , Dead or Alive 4 , Saints Row , and Gears of War . Gears of War would become the best-selling game on the console with 3 million copies in 2006, before being surpassed in 2007 by Halo 3 with over 8 million copies. Six games were initially available in Japan, while eagerly anticipated games such as Dead or Alive 4 and Enchanted Arms were released in
12771-595: The mechanical layouts referred such as "ISO" and "ANSI" comply to the primary recommendations in the named standards, while each of these standards in fact also allows the other way.) ANSI standard alphanumeric keyboards have keys that are on three-quarter inch centers (0.75 inches (19 mm)), and have a key travel of at least 0.15 inches (3.8 mm). Modern keyboard models contain a set number of total keys according to their given standard, described as 101, 104, 105, etc. and sold as "Full-size" keyboards. Modern keyboards matching US conventions typically have 104 keys while
12900-407: The most console units but eventually saw a collapse of third-party software support in its later years, and it has been viewed by some as a fad since the succeeding Wii U had a poor debut in 2012. The PlayStation 3 struggled for a time due to being too expensive and initially lacking quality games, making it far less dominant than its predecessor, the PlayStation 2 , and it took until late in
13029-486: The original Xbox's lifetime. The PC-like architecture meant the early EA Sports games ran at 60fps compared to only 30 on PS3, Xbox Live meant every dedicated player had an existing friends list, and Halo meant Microsoft had the killer next-generation exclusive. And when developers demo games on PC now they do it with a 360 pad—another industry benchmark, and a critical one." The Xbox 360 began production only 69 days before launch, on September 14, 2005, and Microsoft
13158-416: The other one is in the numeric keys. The purpose of the enter key is to confirm what has been typed. The return key is based on the original line feed / carriage return function of typewriters : in many word processors, for example, the return key ends a paragraph; in a spreadsheet, it completes the current cell and move to the next cell. The shape of the Enter key differs between ISO and ANSI keyboards: in
13287-406: The platform with 38 nominations and 12 wins – more than any other platform. By March 2008, the Xbox 360 had reached a software attach rate of 7.5 games per console in the US; the rate was 7.0 in Europe, while its competitors were 3.8 (PS3) and 3.5 (Wii), according to Microsoft. At the 2008 Game Developers Conference , Microsoft announced that it expected over 1,000 games available for Xbox 360 by
13416-501: The program in an active window . In contrast, pressing just F4 will probably do nothing, unless assigned a specific function in a particular program. By themselves, modifier keys usually do nothing. The most widely used modifier keys include the Control key , Shift key and the Alt key . The AltGr key is used to access additional symbols for keys that have three symbols printed on them. On
13545-469: The row of number keys above the top alphabetic row, most desktop keyboards have a number pad or accounting pad, on the right hand side of the keyboard. While num lock is set, the numbers on these keys duplicate the number row; if not, they have alternative functions as engraved. In addition to numbers, this pad has command symbols concerned with calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division symbols. The enter key in this keys indicate
13674-420: The same key) serves the same purpose as a Backspace key. The Backspace key deletes the preceding character. Lock keys lock part of a keyboard, depending on the settings selected. The lock keys are scattered around the keyboard. Most styles of keyboards have three LEDs indicating which locks are enabled, in the upper right corner above the numeric pad. The lock keys include Scroll lock , Num lock (which allows
13803-419: The shift key or Caps Lock key is depressed. The numeric characters become symbols or punctuation marks when the shift key is depressed. The alphabetical, numeric, and punctuation keys can also have other functions when they are pressed at the same time as some modifier keys. The Space bar is a horizontal bar in the lowermost row, which is significantly wider than other keys. Like the alphanumeric characters, it
13932-482: The size of a keyboard is the size and spacing of the keys. The reduction is limited by the practical consideration that the keys must be large enough to be easily pressed by fingers. Alternatively, a tool is used for pressing small keys. Desktop computer keyboards include alphabetic characters and numerals (and usually additionally a numeric keypad ), typographical symbols and punctuation marks , one or more currency symbols and other special characters, diacritics and
14061-1091: The standard functions and can typically use a single keyboard and mouse to access multiple sources. Multifunctional keyboards may feature customised keypads, fully programmable function or soft keys for macros/pre-sets, biometric or smart card readers, trackballs , etc. New generation multifunctional keyboards feature a touchscreen display to stream video, control audio visual media and alarms, execute application inputs, configure individual desktop environments, etc. Multifunctional keyboards may also permit users to share access to PCs and other information sources. Multiple interfaces (serial, USB, audio, Ethernet, etc.) are used to integrate external devices. Some multifunctional keyboards are also used to directly and intuitively control video walls. Common environments for multifunctional keyboards are complex, high-performance workplaces for financial traders and control room operators (emergency services, security, air traffic management; industry, utilities management, etc.). Many keyboards have been designed for one-handed operation. The first one,
14190-518: The successor to the Xbox 360, the Xbox One , on May 21, 2013. On April 20, 2016, Microsoft announced the end of production of new Xbox 360 hardware, though the company will continue to provide hardware and software support for the platform as selected Xbox 360 games are playable on Xbox One. The Xbox 360 continued to be supported by major publishers with new games well into the Xbox One's lifecycle. New titles were still being released in 2018. The Xbox 360 continues to have an active player base years after
14319-491: The suit, agreeing to drop the pending Florida suit, and admitting all allegations of KB Networks' Texas complaint; they paid $ 50,000 to end the suit. In October 2005, it was reported that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had notified Tim Roberts that charges were pending against him for violating federal securities laws. In a statement about the notice, Infinium said it was not notified of specific charges, but suspected they were related to an SEC investigation of
14448-501: The system's discontinuation. Speaking to Engadget at E3 2019 after the announcement of Project Scarlett , the next-generation of Xbox consoles after the Xbox One, Phil Spencer stated that there were still "millions and millions of players" active on the Xbox 360. After the launch of the Xbox Series X and S by the end of 2020, the Xbox 360 still had a 17.7% market share of all consoles in use in Mexico; comparatively, newer systems like
14577-420: The three-year extended coverage for "General Hardware Failures". The newer Xbox 360 S and E models indicate system overheating when the console's power button begins to flash red, unlike previous models where the first and third quadrant of the ring would light up red around the power button if overheating occurred. The system will then warn the user of imminent system shutdown until the system has cooled, whereas
14706-525: The time", it signals Stop , QUIT , or "let me get out of a dialog" (or pop-up window). It triggers the Stop function in many web browsers. The escape key was part of the standard keyboard of the Teletype Model 33 (introduced in 1964 and used with many early minicomputers). The DEC VT50 , introduced July 1974, also had an Esc key. The TECO text editor (ca 1963) and its descendant Emacs (ca 1985) use
14835-454: The time. Press releases said in 2003 that the console would be released that year, and the digital rights management software would be provided by DiStream. A prototype Phantom was first seen at the May 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), although it was rumored to be fake. Robrady Design was hired to develop the first Phantom prototype, and Synopse ID was later retained to develop second- and third-generation prototypes. Two units of
14964-407: The unlawful promotion of penny stocks (including Infinium's). Roberts hired a stock promoter to send faxes claiming that the Phantom console's release was imminent, and the company's stock price might increase as much as 3,000 percent. The SEC alleged that the company never intended to release the console at the promised time due to significant unresolved "technological and manufacturing hurdles", and
15093-419: The unshifted and shifted result. When used in combination with other control keys (such as Ctrl , Alt or AltGr ), the effect is system and application dependent. The Menu key or Application key is a key found on Windows-oriented computer keyboards. It is used to launch a context menu with the keyboard rather than with the usual right mouse button. The key's symbol is usually a small icon depicting
15222-547: The use of buzzwords and the lack of details, the product was derided nearly from the beginning by news sites such as IGN and Slashdot and in the Penny Arcade webcomic . The hardware and gaming site HardOCP researched and wrote an extensive article on the company and its operation, and was sued in turn. The Phantom placed first in Wired News ' s "Vaporware 2004". In 2004, Infinium Labs went public . Roberts left
15351-464: The use of the numeric keypad), and Caps lock . The SysRq and Print screen commands often share the same key. SysRq was used in earlier computers as a "panic" button to recover from crashes (and it is still used in this sense to some extent by the Linux kernel ; see Magic SysRq key ). The Print screen command used to capture the entire screen and send it to the printer, but in the present it usually puts
15480-454: The user the ability to move around a room or to lean back on a chair while also being able to type in front or away from the computer. Some variations of handheld ergonomic keyboards also include a trackball mouse that allow mouse movement and typing included in one handheld device. Smaller external keyboards have been introduced for devices without a built-in keyboard, such as PDAs , and smartphones. Small keyboards are also useful where there
15609-414: The weeks following the console's launch. Games targeted specifically for the region, such as Chromehounds , Ninety-Nine Nights , and Phantasy Star Universe , were also released in the console's first year. Microsoft also had the support of Japanese developer Mistwalker , founded by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi . Mistwalker's first game, Blue Dragon , was released in 2006 and had
15738-470: Was CEO of Infinium, the company failed to report a substantial amount of interest and penalties on unpaid payroll taxes. From its inception, the company had consistently reported a small amount of cash on hand amid extensive (and increasing) debt. In January 2006, Infinium Labs reached an agreement to borrow up to $ 5,000,000 from Golden Gate Investors to finance the manufacturing of the Phantom Lapboard, scheduled for release later that year. This would have been
15867-410: Was able to use other wireless mice successfully. The preview states that the peripheral will be available in "June for $ 130 in limited quantities". In the actual review, however, Maximum PC gave the Lapboard a verdict of 4 out of 10 saying: "The bottom line is that this thing is bad. The mouse isn’t good for gaming, the angled keyboard is awful for typing, and for media playback you’d do much better with
15996-408: Was announced that the price for the Lapboard would be $ 129.99, with customers who preordered receiving a $ 30 discount. The keyboard was then delayed until November. On August 22, 2007, Phantom Entertainment signed an agreement with ProGames Network to provide Lapboards and its game services content in hotels worldwide as well as with Alienware for their media center PCs (Alienware later pulled out of
16125-409: Was marketing for the company and unreleased products. Over $ 24 million was spent on salaries and consultants, and $ 2.5 million on development. Infinium claimed it still intended to release the Lapboard if its financial situation improved, but it missed release dates for the second quarter of 2006, October 2006 and November 2006. On August 15, 2006, Phantom Entertainment removed all references to
16254-525: Was not able to supply enough systems to meet initial consumer demand in Europe or North America, selling out completely upon release in all regions except in Japan. Forty thousand units were offered for sale on auction site eBay during the initial week of release, 10% of the total supply. By year's end, Microsoft had shipped 1.5 million units, including 900,000 in North America, 500,000 in Europe, and 100,000 in Japan. In May 2008, Microsoft announced that 10 million Xbox 360s had been sold and that it
16383-471: Was released on November 22, 2005, in the United States and Canada; December 2, 2005, in Europe and December 10, 2005, in Japan. It was later launched in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, and Russia. In its first year in the market, the system was launched in 36 countries, more countries than any other console has launched in
16512-419: Was supposedly begun by Phantom Entertainment–then known as Infinium Labs–in 2003. The device was said to be capable of playing current and future PC games, giving the system a large initial game library and making it easier for developers to produce games for the system. The system was said to feature a direct-download content delivery service, instead of the discs and cartridges used by most game consoles at
16641-456: Was the "first current generation gaming console" to surpass the 10 million figure in the US. In the US, the Xbox 360 was the leader in current-generation home console sales until June 2008, when it was surpassed by the Wii. By the end of March 2011, Xbox 360 sales in the US had reached 25.4 million units. Between January 2011 and October 2013, the Xbox 360 was the best-selling console in the United States for these 32 consecutive months. By
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